Infrastructure Repairs in Arlington

[dasgeh]

We had a short discussion at last night’s ABAC meeting about getting a list together of “small” fixes to infrastructure and signage in Arlington that would make cycling safer/better. We’re talking things like no turn on red signs and curb cuts, not the Spout Run cycletrack.

The idea was to start a list here, which will be compiled* and hopefully tracked over time (we’ll have to figure out how do add projects going forward).

Please be as specific as possible about what the issue/fix is and where, including maps and pictures if possible.

Topic

[dasgeh]

@chris_s 87732 wrote:

What do you find dangerous about it? Presumably traffic crossing the peds does not get a green until after the countdown has hit zero. I believe this generally happens on wide intersections which have a longer all-red phase than normal to help ensure that the intersection has cleared before the green signal is given to the other direction.

I think it’s inconsistency that’s dangerous. There are other wide intersections where peds get 0 when cars get yellow. As a ped/cyclist, you notice these little things, and often rely on them. Not as much of an issue when you can see the traffic light, but there are plenty of signals in Arlington where peds can’t see the traffic light, so a consistent policy is important.

[dasgeh]

@consularrider 87727 wrote:

Second, Custis Trail repaving. Is there any update on the status? I noticed this week that there are now orange arrows on two small sections that make me believe they will be repaved. There is the section along the St Ann parking lot near the .5 mile post and the other from the 11th St N access to the first N Abingdon St access (one of the mogul sections).

NO! I’m fairly certain most of the requests were for repaving East of there, between the top of Rosslyn hill and Spout Run (or at least bridge to nowhere).

Oh the topic of the Bridge to Nowhere moguls, yesterday, it seemed to me like they were multiplying. Was I seeing things or is Spring in the air? Does this portend some structural problem?

[consularrider]

@dasgeh 87735 wrote:

I think it’s inconsistency that’s dangerous. There are other wide intersections where peds get 0 when cars get yellow. As a ped/cyclist, you notice these little things, and often rely on them. Not as much of an issue when you can see the traffic light, but there are plenty of signals in Arlington where peds can’t see the traffic light, so a consistent policy is important.

What she said. Also, at the George Mason/W&OD/4MR Dr intersection, others have reported seeing the light for vehicles on George Mason turn green while there the pedestrian light was still count the last couple numbers. I’ve never seen that myself.

[consularrider]

@dasgeh 87736 wrote:

NO! I’m fairly certain most of the requests were for repaving East of there, between the top of Rosslyn hill and Spout Run (or at least bridge to nowhere).

Oh the topic of the Bridge to Nowhere moguls, yesterday, it seemed to me like they were multiplying. Was I seeing things or is Spring in the air? Does this portend some structural problem?

I think there has been a general agitation here to get the “original” mogul section of the Custis(11th to Abingdon) repaved for a couple of years.

That last mogul dip as you head east from the Bridge to Nowhere does seem to be getting deeper. Now it is accumulating sand. Maybe it’s a plot to turn the Custis into a world class golf course, after all, they did drill the coring holes further west.

[elbows]

Last night while riding on Fillmore north across Lorcom, I suspected after a while of waiting that the light had no bike-sensor. I meandered over and pressed the pedestrian signal and waited a while longer. Eventually, a car arrived and the light changed, but the pedestrian signal never changed, not of consequence to me but worth mentioning, I thought. I believe that this is a marked bicycle route.

If Arlington has lights that do not sense cyclists, perhaps at the least, they should have signage indicating so, particularly on bike routes.

[DismalScientist]

There’s a camera facing down Four Mile Run Dr. at the infamous corner of Glebe and Glebe (that would be the Arlington Glebe and Alexandria Glebe) that presumably controls whether 4MR gets a green. It would be nice if it were calibrated for bicycles.

[Author]

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